Romantic Tragedies

Valentines Day was never a big thing for the Wife and me, even when we were dating. A small gift and a nice dinner was our usual routine. It's not that we were trying to be anti-consumption or anything so noble, it's just that she's hard to shop for and she appreciates small sincere gestures over large ones... which is lucky for me because I'm horrible at the later. Having to plan and orchestrate a night out fills me with so much dread that I shutdown. By shutdown I mean I sit in my pajamas and watch TV. And by TV, I mean anime. Yes, Valentines Day sends me running to my geek safety blanket.

Since the Wife is currently between jobs and we're trying to save money, I decided this year I would rent her favorite romantic movies and spend the evening snuggling while the Baby sat in his room watching Thomas the Train and Cars. So I rented for her "The Notebook" and dug out our copy of "Serendipity" and we settled on the couch and started watching.

"The Notebook" is a favorite of hers and it's a real tear jerker. We finished it, had a small cry and I made her promise that if I ended up suffering from senile dementia that she wouldn't let me die in some home. After cheering ourselves up with some chocolate cake we moved on to "Serendipity". It was about half way through when it dawned on me... it dawned on me that these "other" in these movies are going through tragedies, the worst moments in their lives. While we're laughing and crying with the romantic leads, their "other" is watching the person they love most in the world plotting to cheat on them, leave them, at the altar, in front of their friends, their families, God. 

Sure, it's easy to cheer on the leads when their "other" is someone evil or manipulative. Or is it? Is it right to sit there and wish pain, loneliness, humiliation on someone, just because we don't like them? Because they have an annoying laugh? Or do we not even notice? In "Serendipity" we don't even see what happens to the other. The dumping takes place off screen and we laugh with Sarah as she finds out the good news. The good news that somewhere another woman just had her heart ripped out and that she's out being consoled by her family and friends. While her ex-fiance is doing what... feeling guilty over his callous betrayal? No, walking around in park, wistfully dreaming about that certain someone. 

So to all those "others" out there. The ones who did nothing wrong while the ones you loved most plotted and cheated on you and then cruelly stabbed you in the back, leaving alone at the altar all in the name of true love, I hope you too find yours.